Tube-cutter.



No. 832,647. PATENTED 001?. 9. 1906.

G. WIEDEKB.

- TUBE CUTTER.

APPLICATION FILED APILZB. 1906.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

PATENTED 0013. 9, 1906,

G. WIEDEKE.

TUBE CUTTER.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- w x N k. m 9% IQ W w m A & QH

W2 t mama:

, 6. w YMJX citizen of the United States, residing at Day- UNITED STATES GUSTAV W IEDEKE,

OF DAYTON, OHIO.

TUBE-CUTTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 9, 1906.

Application filed April 3, 1906. Serial No- 314,239.

To all whom it may concern' Be it known that I, GUsrAv WIEDEKE, a

ton, in the county of Montgomery and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tube-Cutters and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the characters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in boiler-tube cutters.

The object of the invention is to provide a tube-cutter which is adapted to be operated by hand or by powersuch, for example, as by an air-motor or other convenient sources of power which may be applied directly to the tool.

The invention further provides means for cutting the tubes on the inside or outside of the boiler. Further means are provided for automatically stopping the operation of the tool when the tube is cut, thereby relieving the implement from unnecessary wear when operated by power. An indicator is also provided by which the operator at all times may know the position of the cutter.

Preceding a detail description of the invention reference is made to the accompanying drawings, of which- Figure 1 is a longitudinal view of the upper side of the tube-cutter, showing the position it occupies when at work. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal view showing the side thereof. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view. Fig. 4 is a cross-section on the line a a of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a cross-section on the line b b of Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is a cross-section on the line 0 c of Fig. 3. Fig. 7 is a cross-section on the line (I d of Fig. 3. Fig. 8 is a detached view of the clutch. Fig. 9 is a detached view of the clip. Fig. 10 is a detached view of the feed-bar.

Throughout the specification, similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts.

1 designates the supporting frame or mandrel, the end 2 of which is of suitable shape for the attachment of an air-motor or other power appliance when it is desired to operate the cutter by power. A manual-operating handle may also be attached to this end of 1 the mandrel when it is desired to operate the implement by hand. The mandrel has suitable channels and recesses to accommodate the parts hereinafter described, and a portion of the body thereof has an annular shoulder 3, which increases the diameter of the mandrel at that point. The opening 4 on one side of the mandrel extends through this enlargement, and on the other side thereof is an opening 5. Placed Within the opening 5 is the carrier 6, which supports the cutter 7, Which engages the interior of the boiler-tube to be out through the movement of the feedbar 8 to be again referred to. The openings 4 extend substantially the length on opposite sides of the mandrel and admit of the insertion and removal of the feed-bar 8.

9 and 10 designate antifriction-bushings which are slipped over the mandrel 1 and lie flush with the enlargement which forms the shoulders 3. When the feed-bar 8 is in position within the mandrel, these bushings act as supports therefor and also serve as rollerbearings for the tool while in operation. The bushing 9 abuts at one end with the annular shoulder 3 of the mandrel and is maintained on the mandrel by an end washer 11 and a nut 12, which engage the extreme reduced end of the mandrel. The bushing 10 abuts with the other shoulder 3 and is held at the other end by a collar 13, which is tight on the mandrel. A gage or guard 14 of tubular form fits over the bushing 10 and is tightened by a screw 15, which penetrates the hub of said guard and engages the bushing. This guard holds the tool in position against the head of the boiler while the cutter 7 is in operation. The cutter-carrier 6, which supports the cutter, has its inner surface tapered to conform to the angle 8 of the feed-bar 8, so that in the longitudinal movement of the feed-bar 8 the cutter 7 will be moved as by a cam inwardly or outwardly in the opening 5 of the mandrel to increase or' diminish the engagement of said cutter 7 with the boiler-tube. The cutter-frame 6 is held in position on the feed-bar by engaging a lip 6 on said bar. The feed-bar 8 lies within the opening 4 in the mandrel, and the extreme end wall of said opening necessarily extends beyond the end of said feed-bar. The said feed-bar is recessed, as at 8, for the reception of a clip 16, which straddles said bar and is held in position thereon by engag- V sleeve 17 1s shoulder 8 (see Fig. 10,) which shows the structural features of the feed-bar. The feed-nut 18 incloses said feed-sleeve 17 and clip 16, the engagement between said feednut 18 and said feed-sleeve 17 being screwthreaded, so that when the feed-nut 18 is turned the feed-sleeve 17 will travel along the threads of said nut and will cause the feedbar 8 to be correspondingly moved.

As will be seen in Fig. 6, the feed-sleeve -17 has portions or shoulders 17 at opposite sides which project into the opening 4 on opposite sides of the mandrel, and thefeedsleeve is compelled by reason of said inwardly-lying shoulders 17 to turn with the mandrel. Between an end of the feed-nut 18 and the collar 13 there are placed antifriction-bearings 19 in grooves formed in the adjacent surfaces of said collar and nut. The threaded feed-sleeve 17 stated, on one side by the shoulder 8 in the feed-bar and on the other side by the clip 16, which projects beyond the feed-bar on two sides, the projecting portions of the slip being flush with the mandrel on said opposite sides. It will therefore be seen that in turning the mandrel and feed-sleeve 17 in either direc tion the feed-bar 8 will be given longitudinal movement accordingly by said feed-sleeve 17, the forward movement being the feeding movement of the cutter 7. The feed-nut 18 is held against rotary movement during this operation of the mandrel and feed-sleeve. 21 is a collar fixed to the mandrel at the end of the feed-nut 18.

Projecting from the feed-bar 8 through the longitudinal opening in the mandrel and beyond the collar 21 is a pin 25, which will be again referred to. The feed-nut 18 is held stationary by a clutch 22, mounted upon the mandrel 1. This clutch 22 has two oppositely-disposed jaws 26, designed to engage openings 18 on opposite sides of the feed-nut. The engagement of the clutch 22 with the nut 18 is maintained during the cutting period or eriod in which the mandrel is rotated to enable the feed-sleeve 17 to travel the requisite distance on the interior of the feed-nut. Surrounding the hub of the clutch 22 is a clutchcollar 24, and on the outside of said clutch a suitable distance to permit of the necessary movement of said clutch to disengage the feed-nut is a collar 26, fixed to the mandrel 1. 27 is a pointer carried upon the exposed end held between said clip and the" is inclosed, as before,

of a bar 28, which passes under the collar 26 and the clutch 22 and is secured at 29 to the feed-bar 8. The pointer operates in connection with indicators S S on the side of the mandrel, and said indications indicate the limits of movements of the cutter. This is a very useful feature, as it enables the operator to know at a glance the position of the cutter 7. For example, the indications S S show the extreme inner and outer positions of said 'cutter.

The clutch-collar 24 has pivoted to it a holding-lever 30, the inner end of which has a nose 31, designed to enter a slot 32 in the clutch 22, there being one of these slots 32 on the opposite side of the clutch in line with the jaws 26. When the lever 30 is thus engaged with the clutch, the said clutch is held from rotation by grasping the lever 30 by the hand, and as a consequence the feed-nut 18 is likewise held against rotation. When the feed nut 18 is held stationary by the clutch while the mandrel is being rotated through the introduction of power thereto, the threaded feed-sleeve 17 is caused to travel the limit of its feeding movement in the nut and to carry the feed-bar 8 therewith. When this limit of movement has been reached, the cutter 7 has completed the operation of cutting the tube. At this point the feeding movement of the feed-bar is automatically stopped. This is important when the tool is operated by power. The movement of the feed-bar is automatically stopped by disengaging the clutch 22 from the feed-nut 18, which is done by the pin 25, which is attached to the feed-bar engaging the interior shoulder 23 on the clutch, and in thus moving said clutch to the extent necessary to disengage the jaws 26 with the feed-nut. After this disengagement vof the clutch and feed-nut the feed-nut is free to turn around with the threaded feed-sleeve 17 in a synchronous movement therewith, and the feeding movement of the bar 8 ceases. This clutch-releasing means is of much importance when the tool is operated bypower such, for example, as an air-motoras by such means no unnecessary wear or tear is imposed upon the tool after its effective work is completed. In operating the tool by hand the termination of the work is easily ascertainable by the operator from the visual indicator. The clutch-handle is held in the position to hold the clutch stationary, as shown in Fig. 1, by a spring-detent 32, which lies parallel with said handle and is attached thereto at its outer end. The inner end of said spring-detent is bent at right angles to enter a notch 33 in the collar 24, and thus the clutch-handle is prevented from accidentally turning upon its pivotal connection when operating under power. The said clutch-handle may be moved in the parallel position, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, when not utilized for the purpose of holding the clutch IIC for example, when operating by hand. When in this position, the engaging end of the detent 32 enters a notch 33 on the outer side of the clutch-collar 24.

Briefly describing the operation of the implement the position of the cutter within the tube is ascertained, after which the guard 14 is moved to a position to engage the boilerhead surrounding the tube-opening and is then made tight by the screw 15. 22 is made to engage the feed-nut 18, and the clutch-handle 30 is held firmly. Power is then applied to the mandrel 1 to rotate the same and therewith the feed-bar and the feed-sleeve in the direction which causes the feed-bar to travel toward the power end of the implement. In this movement the cutter-carrier 6 is caused to move up the incline 8 of the feed-bar to its limit. When the limit is reached, the pin 25, engaging the clutch-shoulder 23 on the clutch, causes said clutch to disengage from the feed-nut, and the feeding operation instantly stops. This limit of operation is also shown on the visual indicator. The power may then be reversed to drive the mandrel in the opposite direction to drive back the feed-bar and feed-sleeve to their initial position. This is done by reengaging the clutch and feed-nut in order to apply the reverse feeding movement to said parts.

'I claim 1. In a tube-cutter, the combination with a mandrel, and a feed-bar supporting a cutter mounted in said mandrel and rotated thereby, of an eXteriorly-threaded sleeve secured to said feed-bar to rotate therewith and to impart longitudinal movement to the feed-bar during such rotation, an interiorlythreaded feed nut engaging said sleeve, means for holding the feed-nut while said sleeve is rotating with the feed-bar, and means for releasing said feed-nut at the completion of the cutting operation.

2. In a tube-cutter, a mandrel, a feed-bar supporting a cutter mounted in said mandrel, an eXteriorly-threaded feed-sleeve secured to said feed-bar and said mandrel, a feed-nut engaging said feed-sleeve, a clutch engaging said feednut, means onthe feed-bar for disengaging said clutch and feed-nut, and a visual indicator showing the positions of the cutter.

3. In a tube-cutter, a mandrel, a feed-bar supporting a cutter mounted therein, a clip engaging said feed-bar, an exteriorly-threaded feed-sleeve secured between a shoulder on the feed-bar and said clip, a feed-nut engaging said feed-sleeve, a clutch engaging said feed-nut, and a pin projecting from the feedbar and adapted to disengage the clutch from the feed-nut at the limit of the cutting operation.

4. In a tube-cutter, a mandrel having a The clutch impart longitudinal movement to the feedbar, and means for holding the feed-nut from rotating during the rotating operation of the mandrel.

6. In a tube-cutter, a mandrel having antifriction-bushings inclosing portions thereof, a feed-bar supporting a cutter mounted in said mandrel, an exteriorly-threaded feed-sleeve rotatable with the mandrel and imparting longitudinal movement to the feed-bar, a feed-nut engaging said feed-sleeve, a clutch engaging soid feed-nut, and means on the feed-bar for disengaging said feed-nut and clutch at the limit of the cutting operation.

7. In a tube-cutter, the combination'with a mandrel, of a feed-bar supporting a cutter, said feed-bar being rotated by the mandrel, a feed-sleeve secured to said feed-bar to rotate therewith and to simultaneously impart longitudinal movement to the feed-bar, a feednut engaging said sleeve, said feed-nut being free from engagement with the mandrel, means for holding the feed-nut stationary while the sleeve is rotated therein from the feed-bar, and means for placing said feedsleeve and feed-nut automatically out of operative relation at the completion of the setting operation. i

8. In a tube-cutter, a mandrel, a feed-bar supporting a cutter mounted in saidmandrel, an exteriorly-threaded feed-sleeve rotatable with the mandrel and engaging the feed-bar, a feednut engaging said feed-sleeve, means for holding the feed-nut from rotation during the rotation of the mandrel and the feedsleeve, and a visual indicator showing the positions of the cutter.

9. In a tube-cutter, a mandrel having visual indications thereon, a feed-bar, a pointer attached to said feed-bar and movable thereby to the indications on the mandrel, and means for imparting longitudinal movement to the feed-bar while the mandrel is rotating.

IIO

10. In a tube-cutter, the combination with a mandrel, and a feed-bar supporting a cutter mounted in said mandrel, said feed-bar being of rectangular form in cross-section, an eXteriorly-threaded feed-sleeve secured to said feed-bar, an interiorly-screw-threaded feed-nut engaging said feed-sleeve, means for holding the feed-nut stationary while the feed-sleeve is rotated, and a visual indicator is rotated, and means for automatically disshowing the position of the cutter. engaging the feed-nut and the clutch. 1o 11. In a tube-cutter, the combination with In testimony whereof I affix my signature a mandrel and the feed-bar 8, of the feedin presence of two witnesses.

sleeve 17 secured to said feed-bar, the feed- GUSTAV WIEDEKE. nut 18 having a screw-threaded engagement Witnesses: 4 with the feed-sleeve 17, a clutch for holding GUSTAV WIEDEKE, Jr.,

the feed-nut stationary while the feed-sleeve C. M. THEOBALD. 

